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Throughout the 2010’s, nestled in North Carolina’s Bull City stood one of the premier jazz and R&B festivals. Assembling historic lineups with ease, where one could view legendary and rising talent favs at several venues across Durham, the Art of Cool Fest became a yearly highlight. During its second year, it drew bandleader, film and TV composer Kris Bowers. Connecting with him then in 2015, he spoke of working on Showtime’s Kobe Bryant ‘Muse’ documentary and the booked and busy musical road ahead of him.

As images of elaborate floats descend down historic New Orleans streets and mid-air bead tossing continue into the late night hours, one can’t help but get swept up in the mardi gras madness. An album that perfectly encapsulates this distinct time of year and its special festive atmosphere is Delfeayo Marsalis and The Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s “Uptown On Mardi Gras Day”. Whether it’s the “Mardi Gras Mambo” or the “Uptown Boogie”, this 2023 12-song offering takes the listener down to Bourbon St right quick.

As I bid farewell to Women’s History Month, I can’t help but reminisce about the inspiring group of trailblazing women assembled at this year’s She Rocks Awards. Held during NAMM Show week in Amaheim, CA, the 12th annual awards show featured co-hosts producer and performer AIJIA and The Bangles legend Susannah Hoffs kicking things off.

Descending yet again on Anaheim Convention Center for its 102nd year, NAMM Show returned to Southern California with its flurry of interactive talks, lectures, award shows and musical instrument demos at the end of January. Initially not sure how I would maximize my days in the musical melody mecca, NAMM Show+ emerged conveniently providing an organized guide including an up to the minute schedule of events, a detailed map and link to livestreamed sessions broadcast internationally. Drawing aspiring students to seasoned professionals, NAMM Show proved once more why it remains THE premier place to connect with a unique group of world class musicians, instrument brands and business execs from across the globe.

Walking through the Grammy Museum a few months ago, I encountered a powerful musical industry agent of change who warmly greeted me while I was checking out the dynamic sights and sounds of the recent “Hip-Hop America” exhibit preview. Amid the valid vocal scrutiny and criticism from artists and fans in The Recording Academy’s past, Ryan Butler, VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), directly affects the Academy’s membership representation with the Black Music Collective and his partnerships with Color of Change and GLAAD. Although there’s more to do, the building impact can already be seen in last year’s nominations, changes to the voting process and in stage show content ( Check out this year’s show broadcasting live on Sunday February 4th) .

Walking through the Grammy Museum’s latest “Hip-Hop America- The Mixtape Exhibit”, flashes of fiery media clips, interactive pods and historic rare artifacts greet the visitor from the jump. Inspecting every display case during its preview a few weeks ago, it’s clear the expertise, care and thought that went into the exhibit’s creation. Wandering through the halls, I luckily connected with one of the exhibit’s co-curators, Felicia Angeja Viator, who brought her vast cultural knowledge and background to the table, ensuring West Coast hip-hop repped throughout.

Weeks after the Grammy Museum’s lauded “Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” opening, the celebratory mood continued with one of its exhibit’s contributors Chuck D being featured on a panel highlighting the latest Amazon Audible docuseries ‘Can You Dig It?’. On a busy downtown LA Tuesday night with The Lakers playing down the block, casual fan and hip-hop purist museum members alike gathered to hear more about the 1970’s Burning Bronx’s Ghetto Brothers’ Black Benjie’s gang murder backstory, leading to a peaceful culmination of Kool Herc’s historic 1520 Sedgwick Ave’s house party hip-hop birth.

Previewing Grammy Museum’s new “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” before its public opening a few weeks ago, my eyes immediately met priceless, meaningful cultural artifacts at every turn. Among the friendly faces greeting the small crowd of photographers and journalists viewing these rarities, stood UCLA’s English and African-American Studies “Professor of Hip-Hop” and Rap Lab founding director Adam Bradley. As a life-long lover of poetry and song lyrics, I was hyped to connect with him about his passion for the art form and his influence on the prominent “Lyrical Adventures” pod within the exhibit.